Grey Towers Festival features Goods From the Woods’

“Goods from the Woods” is the theme of the Eighth Annual Festival of Wood at Grey Towers National Historic Site in Milford, on Saturday, Aug. 4 and Sunday, Aug. 5. This popular family-friendly event offers a variety of activities and events that demonstrate the many ways we use and enjoy wood in our everyday lives.

News Eagle - Hawley, PA

Writer

Posted Aug. 1, 2012 at 12:01 AM
Updated Aug 1, 2012 at 1:23 AM

Posted Aug. 1, 2012 at 12:01 AM
Updated Aug 1, 2012 at 1:23 AM

Milford Township, Pa.

“Goods from the Woods” is the theme of the Eighth Annual Festival of Wood at Grey Towers National Historic Site in Milford, on Saturday, Aug. 4 and Sunday, Aug. 5. This popular family-friendly event offers a variety of activities and events that demonstrate the many ways we use and enjoy wood in our everyday lives.

Unique wood crafts, children’s activities with wood, chainsaw carvings, educational exhibits, live woodland wildlife, films, tree pruning demonstrations, music created with wood and much more will be offered on the grounds of the historic estate throughout the weekend. There is no admission to the festival grounds and most activities are free.

A collaborative effort of the U.S. Forest Service at Grey Towers; Grey Towers Heritage Association; Pocono Arts Council and several community partners, the Festival is held on the estate of Gifford Pinchot, who founded and served as first chief of the Forest Service. This year’s Festival offers:

• Children’s activities will include toys and games that contain wood and wood products. Live wildlife programs are offered each day. Smokey Bear and Woodsy Owl will visit.

• Educational exhibits and handouts will be provided by a variety of organizations and agencies. Topics will include: reintroducing the American chestnut; education for forest landowners; U.S. Forest Service wood technology initiatives, invasive insects in the forest; clean water and forests; and more.

• Free music with wooden instruments will be provided each day, including traditional acoustic, fiddles and folk tunes.

• All three floors of the historic Grey Towers mansion are open; a $5 fee is required.

The Eighth Annual Festival of Wood is “a celebration of our natural and cultural heritage of wood.” The activities, exhibits and programs are intended to heighten awareness of the many uses of this natural resource and how sustainably managed forests can provide that wood today while ensuring forests for the future. Since 2004, this popular festival has gained a reputation for helping thousands of people make the connection between a sustainable marketplace and sustainable management of forests.

The Festival hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday August 4 and 10 a.m. to 4 pm Sunday August 5 and is held rain or shine. For a schedule of events or more information, call (570)296-9630 or email them at greytowers@fs.fed.us. Festival programs and site maps are available at www.greytowers.org.